


Overtime

by EatingDirtForFunandProfit



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Blood, Fix It Fic, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, MAJOR SPOILERS FOR V’S ROUTE, Mint Eye, Multi, Other, Panic Attacks, Rated t for language and violence, THEY WOULDNT GIVE ME THE HAPPY VANDERWOOD ROUTE I WANTED SO I WROTE IT, Vanderwood Route, Vanderwood save me please, but it’s me... so it might end in a big poly mess who knows, ill try to update the authors note for triggers every chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 07:26:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13383018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EatingDirtForFunandProfit/pseuds/EatingDirtForFunandProfit
Summary: Undercover in a fucking cult.707 owed them his life, if they even got him out alive. Also, a car. Two cars, because it was a cult. Three, for getting a civilian mixed up in it.God only knows why Vanderwood put up with this shit.——————I wanted... a Vanderwood route. So I wrote one. Here it is??? Idk folks it’s gonna be a wild ride while I try to save everyone at once hold onto your hats





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First things first, I want to say that I have this named “Anyways here’s Vanderwall” in my notes and I could have put that one here but I didn’t. So. Yknow.
> 
> There’s... a lot of spy lingo... and swears... 
> 
> It’s set in Another story, so it’s full of spoilers for basically the whole game, and it kinda assumes you’ve played at least V’s route and the secret endings.
> 
> Ps: Vanderwood uses the name Francis in reference to a CG in V’s route about their name that I think a lot of people forget about and I’m salty about it so I’m putting it EVERYWHERE I love them
> 
> I’m on tumblr as @Vanderwont come yell at me in my ask box if I don’t post enough.

Francis: hey  
Francis: hey kid. can you see this?

I looked at the phone Ray gave me to test his game. One of the ais was messaging me, but it wasn’t one I’d seen before... did he put it in to cheer me up?

I’d been getting frustrated that I couldn’t move freely... not to mention, there was something... weird about this game. I knew it was a bad idea to get in that car. But it wasn’t like I had much going on. Life was... unexciting. I wanted to do something stupid. I guess I really did...

MC: yeah, I see you.  
MC: Are you from the RFA?  
Francis: right into it, huh? cute. listen, I’ve been keeping an eye on you. you’re getting close to the truth.  
Francis: be careful about who you trust. I’ll be in touch.   
MC: ??? Who... are you?  
Francis: shits gonna hit the fan soon. I gotta go. remember what I said. you’re smart, I’m sure you’ll get it. use your head.  
MC: Whats that supposed to mean??

No response. I sighed, and plugged my phone into the charger by my bed. I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that this wasn’t part of the game. 

I swallowed my fear and tried to sleep.

—————

Vanderwood sighed and slipped the phone back into the pocket of their robe. The black velvet was heavy, and overheated fast, but at least who ever designed the things gave you plenty of places to hid things.

This... was all Sevens fault. About a day ago, they’d returned to the bunker to harass the man into working, only to find it empty. In Sevens place, they found a surprisingly somber letter, a dossier containing information on some freaky mountain cult, and the phone.

He recognized the app immediately. Seven was on it constantly, instead of doing his damm work. He’d created a ghost account, one that could see the chats entered without needing to be an actual member. It made sense, weirdly. 707 seemed like the type to spy on his friends. 

But then the instructions mentioned a hacker...

A hacker that could go toe to toe with Agent 707.

It made his head hurt to think about, but he had to get at least one of them back alive or his boss would kill him. That was not an exaggeration. In this profession, second chances were a hazy daydream. 

Sure enough, eventually green code flashed on the screen and a new account logged in. It’s icon was the same as the one on the dossier- the mint cult, or whatever. 

Cults a cult, man. They all did some fucked up shit.

Well, so did he, but cults did it for free. 

Which was crazy.

The cult guy- Ray- was talking to MC. MC was the random civilian 707 seemed so worried about. The reason the dossier was left to Vanderwood was because for some reason, the idiot had gone on an extraction mission- for both of them.

Vanderwood felt their lip curl in frustration watching the two talk. Ray was head over heels obsessed. Him and Seven- just two dumbshits sticking their necks out for a pretty face.   
Not that they’d seen MC. But that had to be it, right? Cmon, a little niceness goes a long way, sure, but it had been, what, three days? Two?

Whoever MC was they’d have to be damm good at what they were doing to get not just one, but two shut in hackers to think with their junk rather than their brains.

That being said...

Vanderwood tugged their hood lower over their eyes.   
Undercover in a fucking cult.  
707 owed them his life, if they even got him out alive. Also, a car. Two cars, because it was a cult. Three, for getting a civilian mixed up in it.

After a few hours on surveillance, they’d spent most of the day undercover. Anyone else might have taken months, years maybe, but they didn’t give a shit about being there long term. Once they’d figured out the hierarchy (cults always had hierarchy’s) they ‘acquired’ the highest level uniform they could, dug their fucking grave.

—————

Seven hadn’t been to the chat room in a long time. It was weird of him to do that. Not to mention whoever ‘Francis’ was. Was it Seven trying to prank me?

...Was it Seven trying to tell me something?

I’d broken a few rules on the phone. Ray hadn’t said anything yet- he seemed preoccupied with something. He kept talking about a surprise.

I’d checked the internet connection a few times, going from WiFi to data to nothing at all. Sure enough, the RFA app needed a connection to function. I wasn’t an idiot, it could be streaming from somewhere, so that wasn’t enough proof.

So I fucked with the settings until streaming was turned off.

Low and behold... I could still get in. 

My unease had been growing all day, but at least now I knew for sure.

This wasn’t a game.


	2. Good Luck With Your Cult

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You look like shit, 707.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for a little blood and violence in this chapter! Seven is beat up pretty bad. I felt horrible writing it but I promise this fic ends well for everyone! They just do dumb things and get hurt a bunch first. Don’t worry about it. (I love Seven... but he... does kinda jump in to mint eye with no back up so)

“Try not to look suspicious. Rely on your allies. Understand the extent of the threat. See things for what they are. Take no unnecessary risks. Tell the blonds nothing. Help familiar faces. Eat, drink, or inhale NOTHING suspicious or bitter tasting. Count your blessings. Act natural. Try reading this more than once. -F. memorize. burn after reading. good luck.”

I read the note. And I read it again, and again. “F.” Francis. It had to be Francis. Whoever they were, they were real, and they were here, in Rays paradise. 

And they were warning me about something. 

I couldn’t bring myself to burn it right away- I was terrified I’d forget a single piece of advice. Not to mention, it was a sign someone on the outside knew where I was.

I held it tight to my chest. I’d found the note tucked under the flowers Ray had given me, like Francis knew I’d look there first thing when I woke up. Until the note, they’d been the most comforting thing in the room. 

I almost cried when it was time to destroy the note. I’d committed it to memory- I had to. But it almost physically hurt to hold the paper up to a candle in the bathroom.  
I’d already guessed it was the least likely place for cameras, though if Francis could leave the note without getting caught, maybe I didn’t need to. Still, “Take no unnecessary risks”, right? 

Once it was done, I washed the ash from my hands and the tears from my eyes.

It didn’t help that Seven hadn’t been online all day. It was making me paranoid. Ray hated him more than anyone else- what if he was here? What would he do to? What would I do, more importantly?

If this place was really as bad as Francis thought, then Ray couldn’t be trusted. But the note had mentioned... tasting something bitter. Did that mean poison, or drugs?  
If it was poison, there was nothing I could do for Ray, and nothing I’d want to do, if he really was trying to kill me.

...But if it was drugs...

It was obvious Ray wasn’t in control around here. The guards by my door treated him with respect, but he talked about someone- I had assumed his boss -who was in charge of more him. A lot more, from what I could tell. 

I wanted to trust him. That didn’t mean I should. I had to look like it, at the very least. 

I lay on my back, mind whirling. I repeated Francis’s advice in my mind like a calming mantra, a fucked up holy mary. If only I had a rosary or something...

———— 

The cross dangled loosely from Luciel’s neck. They’d left him that, thank God.

A harsh cough shook his rib cage, and he spat blood. He couldn’t see where it landed- they’d taken his glasses along with his shirt and his gear. 

His torso felt like one giant ache, but to his knowledge nothing was broken. He was being kept alive.   
He hadn’t done this kind of thing recently. Field work wasn’t his style, neither was getting caught. 

Someone leaned on the bars, but he didn’t bother looking up. If they hit him they hit him- he wasn’t going to do shit for her. Not after what she put his brother through. 

“You look like shit, 707.”

His head snapped up, eyes trying to focus on the familiar figure, though he knew the voice immediately.  
His split lip stung as he grinned hazily in their direction.

“I’d say the same but I’m blind with out my glasses, Mary.”

Vanderwood sighed.   
“Francis.”

“Noooo, I’m Seven!”

“Are you being like that because you like making my job difficult or because of blood loss?”

Luciel looked down at his several cuts and winced.  
“...Both?”

“Alright. Well, there’s not much I can do about that while you’re in there. You’ll have to wait until the savior lets you out.”

Thank fuck for Vanderwood. Of course the dungeon would be bugged. 

“She can come get me herself.”

“I’m sure she will. Maybe even tonight, if you’re worthy of it.” 

Yes, idiot, I’ll get you out of this. Tonight at the earliest. Can you walk?

“Worth it? Yes. Worthy?”  
Seven shifted his weight, testing his legs. He winced again.  
“ ...Probably.”

I owe you my life and you’re bangs look great blah blah please help. I think I can walk but we both know that’s a lie but come get me anyways.

“Oh? And what exactly do you think makes people worthy?”

That one took Luciel by surprise. He squinted at Vanderwood’s face just barely making out the knowing glare they were giving him.

It’s not just you you want me to bail out of here, is it?

“She seems to think the hacker you have now is pretty worthy. I can hack, Just is good as him, better, maybe. He’s looking after your guest right now, right? I know about that, too.”

Saeren. Mc. Act surprised, they’re keeping them away from me. Oh god I hope you understand this. Please.

Vanderwood sucked air in through their teeth. 

“Fuck you.”

Yes, got it. Also, fuck you.

They turned away from the cell and walked off down the dirt caked hall.

Luciel raised his voice after them, ignoring the way his throat felt and sounded like sandpaper.

“GOOD TALK, FRANCIS! HAVE FUN WITH YOUR CULT!”

Then, he collapsed back down, coughing. Not bothering to try and wipe the blood off his face, he grinned through the pain. 

If Vanderwood was here, they could get out. His brother... MC... even if Vanderwood left him here and took Saeren instead, he’d be grateful. 

That’s all he’d ever wanted.

Saeren had to be safe.

He had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the first two chapters are pretty short, I’ve already got a third written but I want to make sure I have more of a backlog before I keep posting.
> 
> Also, because I love spy jargon, if you get the secret in Vanderwood/Francis’s note lemme know in the comments! (Hopefully without spoiling it for other people ;~;) MC is pretty preoccupied so they won’t get it till chapter four, but it’ll be pretty obvious to you guys by then.   
> (I wanna see if it was too obvious or not... because there WILL be more spy stuff in this fic and I want it to be realistic and satisfying)

**Author's Note:**

> We got right into the deep end in this chapter, but as you can imagine, things went a little differently! Seven found out about mint eye and Saeren much sooner than he does anywhere else, and of course makes the TERRIBLE decision to infiltrate the cult by himself. Which he does pretty often in canon, to be fair. But I hope you indulge this little canon fuckery, because I’m having way too much fun writing this, to be honest.


End file.
